What is the best membership management software in 2026?
Good membership software runs your renewal season for you: members join and pay online, and your list stays current on its own.
You keep members in a spreadsheet, match payments by hand and email people one by one when their membership lapses. That works at 30 members. At 200, with three volunteers editing the same file, it breaks, and when your treasurer steps down nobody knows which copy is the real one.
The short answer. Wild Apricot is the most complete tool for associations built around membership levels and renewals, from $59.40 a month prepaid for 100 contacts. MembershipWorks is the best value at 300 members: $35 a month, and no cut of your payments. Join It is the easiest to start with, from $29 a month, but takes a 3% service fee on Starter. Raklet has a free plan up to 100 contacts. MemberPress fits if your members live on your WordPress site.
What other roundups skip: the sticker price is only part of the bill. Platform fees on every payment, renewal prices after a first-year discount and contact tiers change the total. We ran the numbers for 300 members paying $50.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best membership software for your situation
From $59.40/mo prepaid, 100 contacts
Best value at 300 members$35/mo, no cut of payments
Easiest to startFrom $29/mo, free member import
Best free planFree up to 100 contacts
For WordPress sitesFrom $199.50 the first year
Open sourceNot ranked, French interface
The 5 membership management tools compared
The ranking targets a club, association, alumni group or nonprofit with 50 to 2,000 members, run by staff or volunteers. Every ranked tool publishes a price on its official pricing page. Rank follows score, and the score weighs real cost at 300 members and the dues cycle first.
| Best for | What sets it apart | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wild Apricot | Most complete | Levels, renewals, website and events in one | 4.3/5 | $66/mo for 100 contacts ($59.40 prepaid) | — | Associations of 100 to 2,000 members | Visit → |
| 2 | MembershipWorks | Best value at 300 members | No cut of payments, no contract | 4.2/5 | Free to 50 accounts, $35/mo to 300 | ✓ | Groups of 50 to 2,500 members | Visit → |
| 3 | Join It | Easiest to start | Quick setup, free member import | 4.1/5 | From $29/mo + 3% fee | — | Small to mid-size groups | Visit → |
| 4 | Raklet | Best free plan | Free to 100 contacts, community features | 4.0/5 | Free to 100 contacts, then $49/mo billed annually | ✓ | Communities, alumni groups | Visit → |
| 5 | MemberPress | For WordPress sites | Members-only content on your own site | 3.8/5 | $199.50 first year, $399 after | — | WordPress sites, paid communities | Visit → |
Scores on five weighted criteria, detailed in the method. Prices read in 2026 on vendors' official pages, in US dollars. Payment processor fees (Stripe, PayPal) come on top everywhere.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
This page is about the member database and the dues cycle: each member's record, online joining, payment, renewal reminders, the portal where members update their details, and the export the day you switch. It doesn't cover donor fundraising (see our nonprofit CRM ranking), event ticketing or accounting, which have their own pages.
First filter: price. A tool whose pricing we couldn't read on the vendor's site can't be compared fairly, so it stays off the ranking. Second filter: payments. A group that collects 300 dues by card pays a fee on each one, and that line can beat the subscription itself.
The weighting follows what costs a small organization time and money. Real cost at 300 members counts 25% (subscription, platform fee, renewal price after the first year). The dues cycle counts 25%: join forms, renewals, reminders. Member database and portal count 20%, online payments 15%, ease of use and support 15%.
Then we read user reviews, starting with the bad ones. Wild Apricot users report an extra servicing charge when they use a third-party processor and price increases every other year. MemberPress buyers get caught by renewal at full price after a half-price first year.
- Cost at 300 membersAnnual subscription, platform fee per payment, first-year discount versus renewal price, tier jumps.25%
- Dues cycleOnline join forms, renewals, reminders before expiry, multiple membership levels.25%
- Database and portalCustom fields, member directory, self-service portal, full export.20%
- Online paymentsCard and ACH, platform fee, choice of processor.15%
- Ease and supportTrial length, clarity for volunteers, support channels, contract terms.15%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
Membership software prices change every year. Get the updates
Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot is built for organizations whose life is the membership cycle: levels, renewals, a member directory, events and a website in one place. The 60-day free trial, with no card, is long enough to run a full renewal round before you pay.
For 100 contacts you pay $66 a month, $59.40 if you prepay a year (10% off) and $56.10 on two years (15% off). The pricing page doesn't print the bigger tiers, so ask for your exact number before you commit.
Wild Apricot charges no per-transaction fee if you use its own processor, Personify Payments. Pick Stripe or PayPal instead and an optional servicing fee applies.
Its limit: cost. At 300 contacts you're on a higher tier than the published one, and users report regular price increases. Count donors and lapsed members, since every contact counts toward the tier.
Tip: archive lapsed members before you import. Keeping last year's non-renewals active can push you up a tier for no reason.
- 60-day trial, no card
- No fee with its own processor
- Website and directory included
- ✓Deep membership levels and renewals
- ✓Member self-service portal
- ✓Discounts for 1- and 2-year prepay
- ✗Only the 100-contact tier is printed
- ✗Servicing fee with Stripe or PayPal
- ✗Price increases reported by users
The pick if membership is the core of your organization and you want one tool for it. Get a written quote for your contact count.
MembershipWorks
MembershipWorks has the cleanest pricing in this ranking. It's free up to 50 accounts, then $35 a month up to 300, $59 up to 600 and $95 up to 1,200. There's no contract, you cancel anytime, and plan changes are prorated.
The vendor takes no portion of your payments. You connect Stripe, PayPal or Authorize.net and pay only their fees. At 300 members paying $50, that's $15,000 that stays yours minus the gateway fee.
Its limit: there's no free trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. Start on the free 50-account plan to build your forms. Also, once you hit your account limit, new members can't sign up until you upgrade. The vendor emails you as you get close.
Tip: watch that limit in the weeks before renewal season. Upgrade early, or new joiners bounce off a closed form.
- $0 platform fee
- No contract
- Prorated plan changes
- ✓Flat, public price per tier
- ✓Free plan to 50 accounts
- ✓Choice of three gateways
- ✗No free trial
- ✗Sign-ups blocked at the account limit
- ✗Mailchimp sync is a $9/mo add-on
The best value for a mid-size group. Watch the account limit before your renewal push.
Join It
Join It is the fastest way off a spreadsheet: member import is free, there's no setup fee and no long-term contract, and the trial asks for no card. Starter is $29 a month, $26.10 billed annually. Eligible nonprofits get another 10% off, which stacks.
The catch is the service fee: 3% on Starter, 2% on Total, 1.5% on Extra, on top of Stripe's own processing fee. At 300 members paying $50, Starter's 3% is $450 a year, more than the annual subscription.
Its limit: the price also moves with member capacity, set on a slider up to 25,000 members, so confirm what your number costs. The fee makes Join It pricier than MembershipWorks once your dues add up.
Tip: do the math at your real dues volume. Total's 2% fee only beats Starter above roughly $75,000 a year in card payments, so most small groups should stay on Starter.
- Free member import
- No setup fee
- Stacking nonprofit discount
- ✓Live in an afternoon
- ✓No long contract
- ✓Trial with no card
- ✗3% service fee on Starter
- ✗Price depends on member capacity
- ✗Stripe fees on top
The easiest start for a small group. Recheck the fee as your dues grow.
Raklet
Raklet's free plan covers 100 contacts, which is enough to test with your board and first members. Essentials goes up to 500 contacts for $49 a month billed annually ($588 a year) or $59 monthly. Professional covers 1,000 contacts for $99 or $119.
Payment fees fall as you move up: 4% + $0.60 per payment on Free, 3% + $0.60 on Essentials, 2% + $0.60 on Professional and 1% + $0.60 on Premium.
Its limit: those fees add up. At 300 members paying $50, Essentials costs $588 plus $450 in percentage fees plus $180 in flat fees, so $1,218 a year, the highest total in our scenario. The $0.60 flat part also hurts on small dues: on a $20 membership, the free plan takes $1.40, or 7%.
Tip: move to Essentials before you open renewals if you're near 100 contacts. You get more room and a lower payment rate.
- Free to 100 contacts
- Lower fees on paid plans
- Community features
- ✓Real free plan
- ✓Monthly or annual billing
- ✓Room to grow to 1,000 contacts
- ✗$0.60 per payment on top of the percentage
- ✗$1,218 a year at 300 members on Essentials
- ✗Premium jumps to $399
A solid free start for a community. Do the fee math before your first big dues run.
MemberPress
MemberPress is a WordPress plugin, not a hosted tool. It turns your own site into a membership site: paid levels, members-only pages, renewals. You keep full control, and you also own the upkeep.
Watch the first-year discount. Launch is $199.50 the first year and $399 at renewal, with a 4.9% fee per payment. Growth is $349.50, then $699, with no MemberPress fee. Scale is $499.50, then $999. All renewals are at full price.
Its limit: it's a website tool first. Member records, reminders and a back-office for volunteers are thinner than in a dedicated association platform.
Tip: at 300 members paying $50, Launch's 4.9% fee is $735 a year. Growth costs less as soon as your dues pass about $3,060 a year in year one.
- Runs on your WordPress site
- 0% fee from Growth
- Members-only content
- ✓Full control of your site
- ✓No platform fee from Growth
- ✓Large WordPress add-on base
- ✗Renewal at full price
- ✗4.9% fee on Launch
- ✗You maintain WordPress yourself
Right if your website is your organization's home. Skip it if you want a back-office for volunteers.
What a year costs at 300 members
Take a group of 300 members, each paying $50 dues by card, so $15,000. Here's the year, subscription plus platform fee, at official prices. Stripe or PayPal processing comes on top for everyone.
Lowest totals
MembershipWorks: $420 ($35 a month, no platform fee). Join It Starter: $313.20 annual plus $450 in 3% fees, so $763.20.
Watch the renewal and the fees
MemberPress Growth: $349.50 in year one, $699 from year two. Launch: $199.50 plus $735 in 4.9% fees, so $934.50. Raklet Essentials: $588 plus 3% + $0.60 per payment ($630), so $1,218. Wild Apricot: the 100-contact price is $712.80 prepaid; at 300 you're on a higher, unpublished tier.
The hidden cost: tiers
Every tool counts by tier. Lapsed members, donors and family members can count as contacts. Clean the list before import, and archive non-renewals.
- Does the tier count members, accounts or contacts?
- What platform fee comes on each payment?
- Is the first-year price also the renewal price?
- Do renewal reminders go out automatically?
- Is there a contract or can you cancel monthly?
- Can you export every record to CSV when you leave?
Other options worth knowing
These come up in searches. They're not ranked because their pricing doesn't fit this audience or couldn't be read. Here's when they're worth a look.
Paheko: open source for French-speaking groups
Open sourcePaheko is free open-source software for associations, hosted by its own nonprofit for €5 a year plus a suggested donation. Unlimited members and automatic renewal reminders are included. Its interface and documentation are in French, so it fits a French-speaking group.
- Price
- €5 a year hosted
- For
- French-speaking groups
Your governing body's system
ClubsSports clubs often register players through their national governing body. If your members are also registered players, check what that system exports before you buy a second tool, or you'll type every record twice.
- Price
- Often included
- For
- Affiliated sports clubs
The spreadsheet: where it stops
FreeA shared spreadsheet works below about 30 members with one person in charge. Past that, it sends no reminders, logs nobody's access to personal data, and a treasurer handover becomes a file on a USB stick.
- Price
- Free
- Limit
- About 30 members
A CRM for donors
DonorsIf your real job is donor fundraising and grants, membership software isn't enough. Our nonprofit CRM ranking compares the tools built for that.
- Price
- Varies
- For
- Fundraising teams
An event tool for ticketed events
TicketingGalas, conferences and ticketed races need seating, check-in and ticket types. If that's most of your work, our nonprofit event software ranking is the better starting point.
- Price
- Varies
- For
- Event-heavy groups
Accounting stays separate
FinanceNone of the five ranked tools replaces your books. Export dues as CSV each month into your accounting software, or see our nonprofit accounting ranking.
- Price
- Varies
- For
- Treasurers
What makes membership software go wrong
These mistakes come up in reviews and treasurer forums. They cost money or members.
The half-price first year
PriceMemberPress prints its first-year price, and renewal is double. Put the renewal date in the board calendar and budget the full price from year two.
- Launch
- $199.50, then $399
The fee that beats the subscription
PaymentsAt 300 members paying $50, a 3% fee is $450 a year and 4.9% is $735. That's more than many subscriptions. Compare totals, not monthly prices.
- At 3%
- $450 a year
The full form in renewal season
LimitsOn MembershipWorks, new sign-ups stop at your account limit. Upgrade a few weeks before renewals, not the day joiners start complaining.
- Fix
- Upgrade before renewals
The processor surcharge
PaymentsWild Apricot has no per-transaction fee with its own processor, but adds a servicing fee if you keep Stripe or PayPal. Decide your processor before you compare.
- Check
- Processor choice
Run a smooth renewal season
The habits that separate a calm renewal season from three weeks of chasing people by hand.
Remind a month before expiry
RemindersSend a first reminder 30 days out, a second on the expiry date and a last one two weeks after. Set them up during the trial and send one to yourself.
- Rhythm
- D-30, D, D+15
Auto-renew by card
PaymentsRecurring card payments are the strongest renewal lever: members do nothing and stay members. Offer them on the join form.
- Effect
- Renewal without reminders
Leave the spreadsheet in one evening
MigrationClean the sheet first: one row per person, one column per field, dates in one format, duplicates merged. Add an expiry date column: it drives reminders in the new tool.
- Key column
- Expiry date
Plan the treasurer handover
BoardOpen the account with a shared board email, never a volunteer's personal address. Give a second admin access on day one.
- Account
- Board email
Want dues to flow into your books or your site without retyping? Get our automation guides
Keep going
These pages cover the rest of running your organization.
Your questions about membership management
Is there free membership management software?
Yes, for small groups. MembershipWorks is free up to 50 accounts and Raklet up to 100 contacts. Raklet's free plan takes 4% + $0.60 per payment, so check the fee before your dues run.
How much does membership software cost for 300 members?
From $420 a year (MembershipWorks, no platform fee) to about $1,220 (Raklet Essentials with 3% + $0.60 per payment on $15,000 of dues). Processor fees come on top.
Can I manage members in Excel or Google Sheets?
Up to about 30 members with one manager, yes. Past that, a sheet sends no reminders, doesn't log who sees personal data and makes every handover risky.
What's the difference between membership software and a CRM?
Membership software runs the dues cycle: join, pay, renew, remind. A nonprofit CRM tracks donors, gifts and grants. Many groups need both, linked by a CSV export.
Does Wild Apricot charge transaction fees?
Not with its own processor, Personify Payments. If you use Stripe or PayPal instead, an optional servicing fee applies on top of the processor's fee.
How do I get members to renew on time?
Automate three reminders (30 days before, on the date, 15 days after) and offer card auto-renewal on the join form. Auto-renew removes the reminder step entirely.
Can I switch membership software mid-year?
Yes, by exporting your list to CSV. Check your contract first: MemberPress bills a year at a time, while MembershipWorks and Join It have no long-term contract.
